Conventional metal, diamond tipped or other similar type knives have blade edges or cutting surfaces that are considerably large when viewed on an atomic scale. Typically such knives have cutting edges ranging from 500 angstroms to about 1000 angstroms. Typically, such knives provide poor surgical precision and cause unnecessary destruction of tissue when viewed at the cellular level.
Presently, atomic force microscopy uses devices having atomically sharp-tips for the manipulation and separation of cells. Such devices and methods are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,221,415; 5,399,232; and 5,994,160 the entirety of each of which are incorporated by reference herein. Additional information regarding devices used in atomic force microscopy may be found in Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology 2002, V 2, No. 1, pp 55-59, and Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems V 6, No. 4, December 1997, pp. 303-306 the entirety of which are also both incorporated by reference herein.
References describing the fabrication of micro knives from single crystal silicon include U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,728,089; 5,317,938; 5,579,583; 5,792,137; 5,842,387; 5,928,161; 5,944,717; 5,980,518; 6,319,474; 6,615,496; 6,706,203; and U.S. patent application Nos. 200210078576; 200310208911; 200510132581; and 200510144789 the entirety of each of which is incorporated by reference herein. Most conventional micro-knives rely on silicon as the cutting blade. Problems may be encountered as silicon is too soft to provide a satisfactory cutting surface. As a result, silicon tends to dull quickly. Moreover, silicon is not transparent to visible light so it is not suitable for applications where it is desirable to see through the blade for precise alignment to the object to be cut.
Accordingly, there remains a need for an improved microsurgical cutting instrument.